News for 'Centre for Policy Research'

Covid vaccine: Too early to say if booster dose needed

Covid vaccine: Too early to say if booster dose needed

Rediff.com30 Apr 2021

Initial data has shown immunity triggered by the two mRNA vaccines -- Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna -- lasts for at least six months

'No one knows who is going to be in charge'

'No one knows who is going to be in charge'

Rediff.com13 Jul 2022

'The worry among many international actors is whether there will be stability to provide assistance to the government because the political developments in the last few months are a real concern.'

China is Britain's largest threat, has targeted India: Rishi Sunak

China is Britain's largest threat, has targeted India: Rishi Sunak

Rediff.com25 Jul 2022

China represents the "largest threat" to Britain and the world's security and prosperity this century and there is evidence to suggest it has targeted countries from the US to India, UK prime ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak said on Monday.

Delhi gasps for breath: Govt orders 50% WFH, primary schools shut

Delhi gasps for breath: Govt orders 50% WFH, primary schools shut

Rediff.com4 Nov 2022

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that primary schools will be closed from Saturday in view of spike in pollution levels in the national capital.

Ukraine War Has Reduced Russia To An Even Lesser Power

Ukraine War Has Reduced Russia To An Even Lesser Power

Rediff.com23 Mar 2022

The fault line between the West and Russia has widened into a deep chasm and this is likely to endure in the foreseeable future. Far from forcing its way into the European tent, Russia may be reduced to the status of an even more sullen and weakened bystander on its periphery. The US appears to have won this hand with little cost to itself, observes former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.

COVID-19 peak in India may arrive mid-Nov: Study

COVID-19 peak in India may arrive mid-Nov: Study

Rediff.com14 Jun 2020

There could be a paucity of isolation and ICU beds, and ventilators, according to a study.

Sensex ends 280 points higher on bank stocks' rally

Sensex ends 280 points higher on bank stocks' rally

Rediff.com23 Mar 2021

UltraTech Cement was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 3.06 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Titan, Axis Bank, SBI and Reliance Industries. NSE Nifty advanced 78.35 pointsto close at 14,814.75.

NEP, 4-year undergrad programme gets DU's implementation approval

NEP, 4-year undergrad programme gets DU's implementation approval

Rediff.com1 Sep 2021

The implementation of the NEP and four-year undergraduate programme were approved by the Standing Committee on Academic Matters and the Academic Council last week.

Where does India fit in a Chinese world order?

Where does India fit in a Chinese world order?

Rediff.com14 Jul 2021

'India finds itself in an unenviable situation today with its prospects diminished by acutely polarised domestic politics and the setbacks suffered during the pandemic,' notes Ambassador Shyam Saran, the former foreign secretary.

What 'Hike' In Defence Budget Doesn't Reveal

What 'Hike' In Defence Budget Doesn't Reveal

Rediff.com11 Feb 2022

Even as Chinese troops continue squatting on territory that we claim as our own -- this was the lowest allocation for defence in percentage terms since the 1950s, reveals Ajai Shukla.

Sitharaman on Adani fallout: Regulators will look into it

Sitharaman on Adani fallout: Regulators will look into it

Rediff.com4 Feb 2023

India's economic image is not affected due to Adani Group's recent decision to pull out Rs 20,000 crore FPO (follow-on public offers) amid allegations of financial wrongdoings, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

Vaccination for 12-14 age group likely from March: Govt expert

Vaccination for 12-14 age group likely from March: Govt expert

Rediff.com17 Jan 2022

Of the estimated 7.4 crore (7,40,57,000) population in the 15-18 age bracket, over 3.45 crore have received the first dose of Covaxin so far and their second dose is due in 28 days, he said.

FCRA challenge for foreign think tanks in India

FCRA challenge for foreign think tanks in India

Rediff.com28 Sep 2020

Funding challenges are not limited to just one think tank. Several scholars say that access for conducting research and getting foreign funds has become a major hurdle for think tanks, with the government raising many questions regarding such inflows. As a result, many think tanks are keeping a low profile and becoming less prolific.

Cabinet okays private participation in space sector

Cabinet okays private participation in space sector

Rediff.com24 Jun 2020

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the participation of the private sector in the entire range of space activities, including planetary exploration missions, Union minister Jitendra Singh said. The newly-created Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure, Singh, who is the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, said.

Gap in Covishield jabs: Govt rejects reports that experts dissented

Gap in Covishield jabs: Govt rejects reports that experts dissented

Rediff.com16 Jun 2021

The Union health ministry on Wednesday dismissed media reports claiming there was dissent from technical experts about increasing the gap between two Covishield doses and said the decision was based on scientific reason about the behaviour of adenovector vaccines.

The School By the Sea

The School By the Sea

Rediff.com13 Feb 2023

The school was run on strict Gandhian lines, with stress on students doing things themselves. Physical comforts were minimal, in keeping with the relatively backward geographical area. But it had a staff of teachers dedicated to educating their students, not just imparting them book-learning, remembers Shreekant Sambrani.

India will grow no matter who comes to power

India will grow no matter who comes to power

Rediff.com22 Jan 2019

'People always short-change the resilience of the economy.'

LBGT people in Qatar prepare cautiously for World Cup

LBGT people in Qatar prepare cautiously for World Cup

Rediff.com19 Nov 2022

Gay people living under radar in Qatar prepare warily for World Cup

Covid-19: With great power comes great responsibility

Covid-19: With great power comes great responsibility

Rediff.com18 Jul 2020

Cities are setting the rules that now carry life and death implications for their residents, and most of these rules are sought to be set by the municipal authorities who have never wielded such power, reports Subhomoy Bhattacharjee.

Aligarh Muslim University Needs Urgent Reforms!

Aligarh Muslim University Needs Urgent Reforms!

Rediff.com7 Mar 2023

Is it a divine, sacrosanct university, a holy cow, prohibiting human intervention?

Community transmission of COVID-19 well-established: Experts

Community transmission of COVID-19 well-established: Experts

Rediff.com1 Jun 2020

"It is unrealistic to expect that COVID-19 pandemic can be eliminated at this stage given that community transmission is already well-established across large sections or sub-populations in the country," the report said.

Gold price likely to cross Rs 55,000/10gm in 2022

Gold price likely to cross Rs 55,000/10gm in 2022

Rediff.com30 Dec 2021

Gold, which lost its sheen to some extent in the second half of 2021, is likely to regain the glitter in the New Year and cross the Rs 55,000-per-10-grams level amid pandemic woes, inflation worries and stronger US dollar. After a stellar run up in 2020 when the yellow metal touched a record high of Rs 56,200 on the MCX in August, the prices are near Rs 48,000 per 10 grams now. This is roughly 14 per cent lower from the all-time highs and 4 per cent lesser compared to January 2021 levels.

Gold consumption highest among Indian middle-income group

Gold consumption highest among Indian middle-income group

Rediff.com12 Apr 2022

Consumption of gold is the highest among middle-income households - those with annual income between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh - who account for an average of 56 per cent of gold sales over the last five years, according to a nationwide survey conducted by India Gold Policy Centre (IGPC) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). "Per capita consumption is highest among the rich, but total volume still rests with the middle-income group. "With increasing income, there is an increasing propensity to consume gold, although the share of gold in the portfolio does not increase with the same proportion of income," the survey report says.

Of all farmers' demands, legalising MSP is tricky and highly complicated

Of all farmers' demands, legalising MSP is tricky and highly complicated

Rediff.com6 Dec 2021

Among the key demands of agitating farmers has been a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP). The protest reached a crescendo when thousands of farmers from Punjab and elsewhere marched towards Delhi late last year and decided to block the main entry points once they were denied entry. The Centre, on its part, held 11 rounds of discussions with the protesters and even offered to amend some of the provisions without much success. With now one of their chief demands met, farmers have now moved on to force the government to concede on MSP.

Omicron may be dominant strain globally in 2022, claim Singapore experts

Omicron may be dominant strain globally in 2022, claim Singapore experts

Rediff.com24 Dec 2021

The new and highly transmissible Omicron variant of the deadly coronavirus has increased immune escape compared with the Delta variant and appears likely to become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 strain globally in 2022, according to Singapore-based experts.

Hijab Row Can Hurt Indian Diplomacy

Hijab Row Can Hurt Indian Diplomacy

Rediff.com17 Feb 2022

India and Indians can ignore Pakistan, but that cannot be said of other nations in the neighbourhood, where New Delhi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy constantly reverberates. Four of the eight SAARC member-nations are Muslim -- Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. The rulers decide the nation's India or anti-India policy in the first two, and street-opinion contributes to the same in the latter two, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.

Modi releases Namibian cheetahs in MP's Kuno National Park

Modi releases Namibian cheetahs in MP's Kuno National Park

Rediff.com17 Sep 2022

Seven decades after they became extinct in India, eight Cheetahs arrived in the country from Namibia by a special flight on Saturday morning and were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP).

Dad steps down, Jayadev Galla helms Amara Raja

Dad steps down, Jayadev Galla helms Amara Raja

Rediff.com15 Jun 2021

'I have personally been very keen on investing in lithium ion battery technology for some time.'

IT spending in India to grow 6% in 2021 to $81.9 bn: Gartner

IT spending in India to grow 6% in 2021 to $81.9 bn: Gartner

Rediff.com23 Nov 2020

IT spending in India is projected to rise 6 per cent to $81.9 billion in 2021 compared to this year on the back of growth across segments like enterprise software and IT services, research firm Gartner said on Monday. IT spending in 2020 is expected to total $79.3 billion, down 8.4 per cent from 2019. "The COVID-19 pandemic stalled many digital transformation projects for Indian enterprises, mainly because of the market uncertainties and reduced cash flows," Gartner research vice president Arup Roy said.

'Antibodies induced by Covishield and Covaxin gradually increase and decrease'

'Antibodies induced by Covishield and Covaxin gradually increase and decrease'

Rediff.com28 Dec 2021

'Antibodies remain in the blood for at least seven to nine months.'

Think tanks: Budget's numbers, fiscal path still suspects

Think tanks: Budget's numbers, fiscal path still suspects

Rediff.com10 Mar 2015

Several speakers noted that Budget carried the weight of expectations.

Will Modi go to war with China?

Will Modi go to war with China?

Rediff.com20 Jul 2020

'By not even acknowledging China's occupation of Indian territory Modi signalled to Beijing that he was not prepared to used forceful means to vacate the Chinese occupation, and that his government was reconciled to this loss of territory and accepted the fait accompli engineered by the PLA.'

Develop resources for better governance: PM to council of ministers

Develop resources for better governance: PM to council of ministers

Rediff.com14 Nov 2021

The 77 ministers have been divided into eight groups to develop technology-based resources, create a pool of professionals for recruiting in their teams and other similar initiatives to be adopted in the offices of all ministers' offices to bring more transparency and further improve and efficiency of the Modi government, the sources said.

SC stays agri laws, forms panel; farmers to continue protest

SC stays agri laws, forms panel; farmers to continue protest

Rediff.com13 Jan 2021

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a stay of the implementation of the contentious three new farm laws hoping this will end the prolonged protests by the farmers and also constituted a four-member panel of agri experts to resolve the impasse between their leaders and the Centre.

How India can protect itself from cyber attacks

How India can protect itself from cyber attacks

Rediff.com18 Mar 2021

The recent report in the New York Times that China had brought India's financial capital - Mumbai - to a halt by hacking the electricity supply grid has not come as a surprise to the CTOs (chief technology officers) and cyber security experts. Indian companies, including critical infrastructure providers such as power grids, ports and radar systems, lack the IT infrastructure to prevent hacking from hostile state actors like China and North Korea, warn security experts. Recently, the United States government warned of yet another breach of critical systems tied to Microsoft Exchange email systems that the company has blamed on China. The breach has impacted thousands of organisations in the US and its impact on India is still unknown.

Does India need booster shots to fight Omicron?

Does India need booster shots to fight Omicron?

Rediff.com12 Dec 2021

'Better to prevent than to wait for evidence. Protection delayed can also mean protection denied'

Scientists use cellular networks to detect at-risk areas for COVID-19

Scientists use cellular networks to detect at-risk areas for COVID-19

Rediff.com29 Jun 2020

According to the scientists, including Edwin Chong from Colorado State University in the United States, the novel technique can help identify the most crowded areas such as a city centre, where asymptomatic carriers have a high probability of coming into close contact with large numbers of healthy people.

NITI Aayog's artificial intelligence proposal gets FinMin's nod

NITI Aayog's artificial intelligence proposal gets FinMin's nod

Rediff.com10 Sep 2019

NITI Aayog had been asking for Rs 7,500 crore for three years to set up an AI framework.

Full Text: PM Modi's address to US Congress

Full Text: PM Modi's address to US Congress

Rediff.com23 Jun 2023

Here's the full text of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to a joint session of the United States Congress, delivered on Thursday.

Soumya Swaminathan: Just what the doctor ordered

Soumya Swaminathan: Just what the doctor ordered

Rediff.com14 Oct 2017

Her appointment as World Health Organisation's deputy director offers an opportunity to push for improving the medical research environment in India.